Archive

BREAKING – Today, the Federal Court allowed the ACLU’s First Amendment challenge to California's execution viewing procedure to move forward, rejecting the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s attempt to deprive journalists of the right to view and fully report on an execution. Linda Lye, Senior Staff Attorney, issued the following statement in reaction to the Court’s rulin... Read More

California, the nation’s most populous state and a national leader in protecting and advancing reproductive health, could become the first to ensure that medication abortion is available to college students in public universities. Read More

The ACLU Foundation of Northern California filed suit against the California Department of Corrections on behalf of three media organizations challenging the execution viewing procedure. Read More

SACRAMENTO – Today, the Assembly Committee on Appropriations advanced legislation to open law enforcement misconduct and use of force records in California. SB 1421, introduced by Senator Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), will make public information about confirmed cases of misconduct – including sexual assault and job-related dishonesty – and serious uses of force by peace officers in California. L... Read More

SACRAMENTO – Today, legislation to update California’s lethal use of force law was removed from the Senate Appropriations Committee and referred to the Senate Rules Committee before heading to the Senate for a floor vote. AB 931, introduced by Assemblymembers Weber (D-San Diego) and McCarty (D-Sacramento), is heralded as landmark legislation to save lives. In response to the bill’s advancement,... Read More

SACRAMENTO – Today, Senator Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys) unveiled amendments to bail reform legislation, Senate Bill 10, he introduced in 2016. Natasha Minsker, Center Director for the ACLU of California Center for Advocacy and Policy, issued the following statement in response to the changes in the bill: For years, California’s money bail system has been among the most egregious examples of a two... Read More

FRESNO — On August 7, at the second TRUTH forum held in the state of California, the Fresno County Board of Supervisors violated the principles of the TRUTH Act. Maria Romani, ACLU Foundations of California Immigrants’ Rights Policy Attorney, issued the following comment in response: Community members have a right to know how their local law enforcement agencies are entangled in ICE’s deportati... Read More

A groundbreaking bill pending in California would bring this day-to-day local surveillance out of the shadows and give communities a way to fight back against surveillance systems that are disproportionately aimed at immigrants and people of color. Read More

SAN FRANCISCO — Amazon today issued an additional statement in response to the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California test of Rekognition, the company's face recognition technology. The test revealed that Rekognition falsely matched 28 current members of Congress with images in an arrest photo database. Congressional members of color were disproportionately identified inc... Read More

SAN FRANCISCO – Reps. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.) and John Lewis (D-Ga.) today wrote to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos demanding a meeting to discuss Amazon’s face surveillance product Rekognition. The letter comes after the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California released results of a test this morning revealing that Rekognition falsely matched 28 current members of Congress with image... Read More